


Please need me

by elenilote



Category: Chinese Actor RPF, 这！就是街舞 | Street Dance of China (TV)
Genre: Dating, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Idiots in Love, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-14
Updated: 2020-09-15
Packaged: 2021-03-07 02:13:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,580
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26465473
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/elenilote/pseuds/elenilote
Summary: Yixing-ge invites Jackson home to Changsha for the weekend with only one goal - to woo him.
Relationships: Zhang Yi Xing | Lay/Jackson Wang
Comments: 17
Kudos: 50





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Title from [Holy Water by Taemin](https://youtu.be/vWT2jSLMGsU)

As the plane touched down at CSX, Yixing finally felt himself relax. Working on SDC had been gruelling, first the filming schedule and then the endless promotion while the show aired - he felt as if he hadn't properly breathed in months. But a 6-hour flight did wonders for one's stress levels, especially when you knew home waited at the other end. And this weekend Jackson would come for a visit (first of many, he hoped). 

Even before they were partnered together on SDC, Yixing and Jackson had been familiar with one another - what with Yixing's time with EXO and Jackson's work with GOT7. But working under different management meant they really only saw one another at award shows or industry anniversary parties - hardly many chances for really getting to know one another. So SDC had been the first time they had actually spent any personal time together, thanks mostly to the producers' genius idea of the hotpot discussions - for example, Yixing had discovered that Jackson could not tolerate spicy food. Watching Jackson dance had been... _very_ nice. It was a far cry from the sort of dancing they were both trained for as idols, this was dancing they had chosen for themselves. And Jackson threw himself so fully into the dance, after each performance he had been wrung dry and exhausted but still always had a helping hand and a kind word for his team. The sort of selflessness that could not be faked, but it made Yixing wonder who took care of Jackson? Who made sure he ate and had enough sleep? Who took care of his bruises and sprains and watched over him when he was truly unwell? Somewhere during the summer of filming the show Yixing found himself more and more attracted to Jackson, but of course it would have been incredibly unprofessional - let alone dangerous for Jackson's career (Yixing himself couldn't possibly care less if people knew he was bi, he could stop work tomorrow and could live very comfortably with the proceeds of his career for fifty years) - to hook up while they were working together. So Yixing had asked Jackson to come to Changsha for a weekend - ostensibly to get some R&R and de-stress - with the goal of seriously wooing Jackson. 

He had a couple of days to prepare yet, Jackson wasn't due to arrive until late Friday. September really was the best time to visit Changsha, the humid heat of summer giving way to the pleasant cool of early autumn and the fruit trees at Juzizhou were heavy with the last crop of the season. Saturday night would hold the weekly firework display and Yixing had planned to take Jackson home for dinner after and if things went as well as he hoped, ask him to stay the night. He'd booked Jackson in at the Hyatt, which while undoubtedly the best hotel in the city was also only a short car ride from his apartment. Which reminded him, he needed to make sure the apartment was fit for Jackson's visit. Sure, he had a housekeeping service that kept the place clean and watered his plants and so on but as he hadn't been home in over six months, it was bound to be empty and boring - not what he wanted to show Jackson. First stop would be to order some groceries, find some nice incense to chase away the stale smell of an empty apartment and of course, make sure he had coffee for Sunday breakfast. 

Friday came too soon and not soon enough and Yixing was standing at the airport arrival hall worrying about his plan. What if it fell through and Jackson wasn't a) interested at all or b) interested in _him_ (which would be worse, actually - to find that Jackson had his eye on someone else). Or what if all Jackson wanted was a weekend hook-up, a diversion and that's all - Yixing had actually found himself already emotionally invested in the idea of Jackson and him as partners ( _boyfriends_ sounded so ridiculously juvenile, he was going to be thirty soon and Jackson wasn't a spring chicken either at twenty-six). That sent a cold shiver down his spine, OK so that would possibly be the worst outcome at all - to have Jackson only for this weekend and go back to being almost-strangers - so he needed to make sure that did not happen, he needed to convince Jackson of his intentions. 

Jackson looked good walking through the airport security gates, wearing jeans and an oversized hoodie in deference to the cooling weather combined with a backwards cap, mask and glasses - somehow still managing to look like a bloody runway model. 

Yixing whistled sharply to get Jackson's attention and raised his voice to call out.

"Jia'er! This way!"

Jackson lifted a hand in greeting and headed towards Yixing, who found himself smiling like an idiot in return. 

"Yixing-ge, long time no see," Jackson laughed and engulfed Yixing in a rib-crushing hug.

_(Long time no see, tch - it has been what, three days? Stupid kid, being adorable little shit as usual)_

"Yeah yeah, come on let the old man go - you'll break my bones doing that! Come, I've got a car waiting - I thought we'd have dinner at the hotel and you can just crash when you feel like it."

He picked up Jackson's bag where he'd dropped it for hugs - over Jackson's protests of " _I can carry my own luggage!_ " - and headed to the exit. 

"Did you wrap up everything you needed? You said you were planning to catch up with your brother on his way back from Hong Kong?" 

"Yeah, we had dinner last night before his flight back - it was good, it's been a while since the last time we caught up. And Aimee is so big now, she's almost four now can you believe it! Just yesterday she was a baby and a toddler, now she's starting preschool and already knows how to write her name!" Jackson kept up the commentary on his family on the drive to the hotel and Yixing was feeling all kinds of warm and happy about that. To see Jackson so animated and engaged and talking about his family - who were obviously the most important thing for him - gave him hope that maybe these feelings weren't completely one-sided. After all, if Jackson was happy to share intimate details of his family with him - things that weren't public knowledge - it meant he trusted Yixing and saw him as a safe place. Well, that went both ways - Yixing would happily share stuff of his own with Jackson in return. 

Too soon they arrived at the hotel, Yixing paid for the taxi and shooed Jackson to check in and drop off his bags to the room before dinner - he would wait at the restaurant. With promises of being as quick as possible, Jackson set off and Yixing made his way to the restaurant where they had a table booked with a spectacular view across the Xiang. Knowing Jackson's aversion to spicy food, Yixing had chosen one that served BBQ instead of the famous Hunan cuisine that he himself loved so much - he wanted Jackson to be comfortable tonight. 

"Hey, sorry to have kept you waiting. Wow, the view is spectacular!" Jackson slid into the booth opposite Yixing, freshly showered and changed - some of his hair was still a bit damp and Yixing found himself wanting to run his fingers through that and feel the silky texture for himself. 

Gods he had it bad. 

"Yeah, I wanted to show you the river and how the city lights reflect on it at night, it really is so pretty here. I thought that tomorrow I'd take you around a bit, the Orange Island is exquisite this time of year and they have a firework display at night - thought that would be something you'd like. And then maybe my place for dinner after?" 

"Sounds great, thanks again for inviting me - already feels like a holiday and I've only been here a couple of hours!" Jackson was so endearingly sincere, when he was into something, he was invested with his whole being - he was always so _present_ , like no one else Yixing had met. 

The dinner passed in comfortable small talk, nothing serious but Yixing couldn't really help it if he smiled a bit more than usual and maybe his jokes were a little gentler and a bit more flirtatious than before. Surely he wasn't imagining Jackson's answering smiles being a little brighter in return, his laugh just a bit breathier - were they flirting? Oh, Yixing really hoped so, though to be honest he was a little rusty flirting - it must have been at least a year since he'd last went out with someone with the intent to date them. Though, this time he didn't just want to get Jackson in to his bed (though if that happened, would be surely fun) but actually wanted this to be a long-term thing, wanted to properly court Jackson and take him out on dates and meet their friends as a couple. Yeah there was a lot of stake here. 

Jackson started to wilt a little around dessert and Yixing was feeling the day catch up him as well. 

"Let's get you to bed then young one, you need a good night's sleep to keep up with me tomorrow," Yixing teased as Jackson yawned for the sixth time in as many minutes.

"Ha ha Zhang-laoshi is so funny," Jackson laughed brightly, the familiar nickname between like an old friend. "But I have to admit you're right, I am dead on my feet. At least come upstairs for a few minutes before heading back, I kinda don't want to let go of you yet?" 

Yixing smiled at the request, as if he would refuse. Good thing neither one of them had been drinking tonight, so if anything happened, they couldn't blame it on the alcohol. 

True to his words, Jackson was half asleep on his feet by the time the elevator made it to his floor and he slotted his arm through Yixing's for the short walk to the door.

"Come on, I'll fix us some iced tea if that's OK?" Jackson asked on his way to the kitchen. 

"Sounds good to me. Want me to find something on TV we can watch before you pass out?"

"Hey, maybe they have SDC on? We can watch and critique Zhong-laoshi and Yibo while they can't hear us," Jackson suggested returning to the living room. 

They found the water stage episode where Yibo had gotten injured.

"Watching that you would never know he was dancing with a strapped ankle, on one hand really brave of him but also insanely stupid - he could have done himself serious harm with just one wrong move. Promise me you won't do something that stupid, I don't think I could take it knowing you would be performing while hurt," Yixing blurted out (oops, he hadn't meant to be quite so obvious). 

Jackson was quiet for a moment and Yixing half thought he hadn't heard him. 

"Yeah, I can promise that - for you. Wouldn't want you worrying so much," Jackson leaned his head against Yixing's shoulder and offered his hand for a pinkie promise. 

Yixing linked their fingers together while he pondered his next move. 

"Jia'er. Tomorrow...if I wanted tomorrow to be a date, would that be OK with you?" 

This was it, no going back now - there was no taking back what he'd said. 

There was moment's quiet and then Jackson's squeezed their joined hands. 

"Yeah Yixing-ge, yeah it would be more than OK with me."


	2. Chapter 2

They'd made plans for Yixing to pick Jackson up at the hotel after lunch for their date, the walk around Juzizhou would take most of the afternoon and as the fireworks would be set out at sunset, they would make it back just in time for dinner. While it was A Date, Yixing had asked Jackson to not worry too much about what to wear - they would be walking outside most of the day and besides, not like they hadn't seen one another in sweats and t-shirts before. Jackson really did not need to dress up to impress Yixing any further.

Shouldn't have been a surprise though to see him waiting at the hotel lobby wearing one of his signature Fendi jackets, though paired with jeans and the ever-present beanie. Upon spotting Yixing Jackson smiled wide and did a twirl on the spot to show off his outfit. 

"What do you think, Zhang-laoshi? Did I scrub up well?"

The little shit was definitely teasing now, but he did look good. Ha, two could play this game!

"Well _Gaga_ , you're looking just fine for a day out." 

Jackson ducked his head and laughed at the teasing, there was definitely a different flavour to their banter now - they were both a little nervous about the day. 

"OK OK, no more! But serious now, I know you said not to worry about dressing up but this is OK for what you planned?" 

"Jia'er. It's fine, more than fine. We're not going to be doing any serious hiking, just wandering about among the orange trees and all that."

While the metro would take them to Juzizhou directly, Yixing was a well-known enough figure in his hometown that they would warrant quite a bit attention, so he'd booked a car for the trip. At least this way he'd have the excuse to sit close to Jackson in the backseat and there would be no one to notice if he maybe brushed his fingers against Jackson's or wrapped his hand around his shoulders - it was exhilarating being allowed to touch Jackson like this. And to find Jackson quietly leaning against his shoulder or linking their fingers together on the seat between them, well that was a reward in its own right.

The car dropped them off outside the park gates and Yixing stood back for a moment watching Jackson take in the sights ahead of him. The famed orange trees were just about visible in the distance but you could smell them already - it never failed to bring peace to Yixing, for this this was the smell of home. 

Here they could blend in with the tourists and locals alike so Yixing felt bold enough to take Jackson's hand in his as they started their tour. They walked around the island hand in hand, chatting about this and that, occasionally stopping to take selfies - some silly, some serious and some downright cute. Yixing snapped a picture of Jackson climbing onto a fence and goofing off - the way his whole being lit up when he laughed was doing some serious damage to Yixing's heart. 

By the time they'd watched the fireworks it was getting dark and a little chilly. They stopped for some Yunnan coffee to warm up before heading back for dinner. The car was waiting for them once again by the entrance and the ride back was quiet and peaceful, both needing some time to decompress after spending a whole day in a crowd.

"So what are you making me for dinner?" Jackson asked as they were waiting for the elevator to take them up to the apartment.

"Actually, _we_ are going to make dinner - I thought a joint effort would be fun," Yixing replied. "I hear you've learned how to make jiaozi?"

"You...you watched that? Oh my god, that was embarrassing - I literally had never made them before, they were so nice and gracious about my clumsy attempts and I've only made them once since. So you best be prepared for embarrassingly weird-looking dumplings then," Jackson laughed. 

Yixing had stumbled on the video of Jackson making dumplings while being interviewed and it had been so endearing he'd bookmarked it and watched it at least half dozen times since. And so what if his attention had been taken by Jackson's nimble fingers folding the dumpling skin and not the actual cooking - who could blame him? 

"Who cares what they look like, they're for eating not looking. Anyway, make yourself comfortable while I sort out the stuff we need for dinner." 

Jackson took him at his word and wandered around the apartment, occasionally stopping to look at something on the shelf or a picture on the windowsill. It felt good, domestic even - having Jackson in his personal space like this. And Yixing really wanted to take care of Jackson, an impulse he hadn't really felt for a long time. Sure, he'd been the giving type with previous lovers too but something about Jackson was different. Maybe it was the way he was always ready for any challenge and didn't quite seem to care about the consequences. Or how he goofed around, appearing much younger than he was - a defence mechanism for sure - or the way he was always smiling, always laughing in public. It was different for Yixing these days, he did a lot of acting work alongside his music and he was a lot more established in his career than Jackson - he had a lot more leeway in how he presented himself in public. 

But, they had dinner to make. Yixing laid out the wrappers, the fillings - three different kinds - and everything else needed for the work. 

"Hey, you ready to start?" he called for Jackson who was engrossed in the contents of Yixing's bookshelf.

"Oh, sorry, yeah - let's make food," Jackson walked over to the kitchen and sat down on one of the stools. 

The next hour was filled with laughter, true to his word Jackson's dumplings were kind of ugly-looking as he kept forgetting what he was doing and went off on a tangent about one topic or another. By the time they got around to actually cooking their creations, they were both a little tipsy from the sparkling soju they'd had - not enough to be drunk but certainly not sober by any means.

True to form, Jackson could not wait for the food to cool down before grabbing the first dumpling and promptly burning his tongue in the process. Yixing shook his head in mock disgust and took the plate away from Jackson and made him drink a glass of water. 

"Seriously, you need a keeper! How can you not remember that it's going to be hot, you literally did the exact same thing when you did this the first time!" 

"I was just...they looked so tasty and I was hungry...but yes, maybe I do need someone to look after me. Would you maybe know someone interested in trying out for the position?" 

Oh so they were doing this now, fine - Yixing could work with this. 

"You know, I think I know exactly the right person for the job," Yixing picked a cooled dumpling from the plate and moved to where Jackson sat and offered it to him. It was impossible to miss the slight hitch in Jackson's breath or the careful way he bit down on the dumpling while all the while keeping his eyes on Yixing. He licked his lips and took a sip of his drink before turning back to Yixing expectantly. 

And Yixing kissed him. 

It was just a peck really, a gentle brush of his lips against Jackson's while he tasted the salty sweet combination of dumpling and soju. 

"Jia'er. I...I don't want this to be just a hook-up. I'm looking for serious with you, if you're not feeling the same then we should probably go no further. So why don't you think on that and let me know how you want this to go?" 

Jackson's face did that adorable crunching thing when he was thinking hard, and Yixing found it so very cute. The silence between them lasted maybe a minute but when you're the one waiting for an answer, it feels like forever. Yixing was busy putting the leftover ingredients back in the fridge when he heard Jackson come up behind him and felt him wrap around him. 

"Gege... _Yixing_. I didn't...I mean we had a lovely date today but I still...I didn't think I would get more than that from you. So to answer your question, yes - yes I want serious with you too. So very serious. So very much."

They stood like that for a while, Jackson leaning his cheek against Yixing's back and his arms around Yixing's waist. It felt good, comfortable even and...right. Like this was what they were supposed to be. But they had a dinner to finish to reluctantly Yixing untangled himself from Jackson and pushed him gently towards the table.

"Come on, let's finish eating dinner. You'll stay the night, won't you? We have a lot to talk about."

Jackson smiled and blew a kiss in reply - already busy eating another too-hot dumpling. Yixing sighed - fondly this time - and settled down next to him, offering yet another cold drink to soothe his...his _Jackson's_ burned mouth. He was looking forward to sharing many more moments like this. 

Later when he laid in bed watching Jackson sleep next to him Yixing took a picture and sent it to Leo. The reply came back almost immediately " _So happy for you, Xingxing!_ ". Yixing smiled and put his phone away, plenty of time to discuss friends and family and how to merge the two later - for now it was enough to know his best friend approved. The rest would come later. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Changsha is the capital of Hunan province and Lay's hometown.  
> CSX is the abbreviation for Changsha Huanghua Int'l Airport.  
> In Mandarin Jackson's name is styled as Jia'er.  
> Jackson's inability to handle any spicy food is canon.  
> Jackson's birth name is Wang Ka Yee, sometimes also styled as Wang Ga Yee. Gaga is a fond abbreviation of this.  
> [Jackson learned to make dumplings for Chinese New Year 2019 ](https://youtu.be/cVe5_cyRGEg)  
> Xingxing is a diminutive from Yixing.  
> I'm not native Chinese speaker nor have I ever actually visited Changsha so while the places mentioned in the text are real, everything else is artistic license.  
> 


End file.
